Judges agree to cuts

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.comLuzerne County Reporter

Luzerne County judges are scouring the court payroll to find $1.99 million in promised salary cuts within 60 days.

Judges officially agreed to the cuts and timeline Friday, when they withdrew a controversial court lawsuit opposing the county’s 2009 budget.

President Judge Chester Muroski and county commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla signed the lawsuit settlement agreement during a noon press conference at the courthouse.

“We are going to determine the need of staff. We are going to determine if there are overlapping levels of supervision, and we are going to reduce our numbers to reach what we have agreed upon, simple as that,” Muroski said at the settlement signing.

Petrilla said court layoffs are necessary because of the county’s financial problems.

“That’s unfortunate, but at the same time you can sense the relief throughout the courthouse because clearly, if we didn’t have the proportionate share coming from the court system, we would’ve had to go back to the other departments, and they have already been hit twice,” she said.

County officials had estimated that around 55 non-court staffers would have to be laid off without court staffing reductions. Commissioners furloughed 27 non-court workers in January.

The settlement agreement says the court will “commence immediate staff reductions in accordance with existing court personnel policy.”

For example, non-union employees must receive two weeks notice for non-disciplinary terminations, according to the court’s personnel policy.

Court branches employ 350 workers.

Probation services has the most employees – 137 – followed by court administration with 72. Here’s the remaining count: domestic relations, 65; district justice, 55; stenographers, 14; and orphan’s court, 7.

Muroski had already issued a court order announcing plans to examine every department head and supervisor hired by former President Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan to determine if these managers should “continue in their current position.”

The state Supreme Court suspended Ciavarella last week after the filing of federal charges against him and Conahan, who served as a senior judge.

The judges are scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 12 to accepting more than $2.6 million in kickbacks in exchange for rulings and other actions that favored the owner and builder of a Pittston Township juvenile detention center.

Ciavarella filed the budget suit. He had publicly presented the impression that he had the backing of all judges, but Muroski said he and his colleagues didn’t have a say.

“Did we take a vote on it? No,” Muroski said Friday, adding that all judges supported the suit’s withdrawal and settlement.

Judge Peter Paul Olszewski said he has already started evaluating some department workloads and payroll expenses. Olszewski said he and several other judges have been rising earlier and staying up late crunching payroll numbers on top of their normal judicial duties.

“We’re looking at the system and how it’s working and how to make it work more efficient with less,” Olszewski said.

Judges will deliberate as a group before approving a staff reduction plan, said Olszewski and Muroski.

Paula Schnelly, head of the county’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, known as AFSCME, said she has mixed feelings about the settlement. While it will prevent layoffs for the union’s non-court employees, the union also represents some workers in the domestic relations, probation and district justice offices.

“I guess the optimistic side of all this is that now we’ll be dealing with someone who wants to do this in a proper way and fair way,” she said of Muroski.

Petrilla said the court’s willingness to work with commissioners has created a “major transformation” in the courthouse.

“I can see it,” Muroski said. “It certainly has been a trying period of time not only for the commissioner board, but also the judges.”

Minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban, who has blasted the court’s refusal to make cuts for years, said he was “very happy” with the settlement.

“I look forward to working with court officials in the future to try to reduce spending, promote efficiency and make sure they have the funds to properly run the branches they’re responsible for,” Urban said.

Commissioner Greg Skrepenak said he is interested in meeting with court officials to discuss ways to reduce court spending.

“I just want what’s in the best interest of Luzerne County. I have some ideas, but I can’t offer my input unless I’m invited to meetings,” he said.

As Luzerne County judges weigh court staff cuts, the public should also have an opportunity to review the court payroll. Turn to Page 8A or go to www.timesleader.com to see a list of all court employees, their job titles and salaries.

The lawsuit settlement agreement signed Friday is also posted.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.